Omer Asik of the Rockets is the active leader in consecutive regular season games played, with his current streak hitting 233 straight after appearing in each of the Rockets’ first three games of the year.

“Actually, I don’t really care about it,” the 27-year-old Asik said. “I just try to stay on the court. It’s not in my hands mostly. (An injury) happens in a second.

“It’s just a little bit of luck, I think.”

Asik missed a playoff game with the Bulls with a broken leg, but he had played the previous game despite the injury. He said there were several games last season he did not think he could play, but did.

“I have played hurt a few times, but I think it’s mostly luck,” Asik said. “That’s it.”

Asik hasn’t just been on the floor, he’s been a productive member of a Rockets team that’s off to a 3-0 start.

Despite his concerns over the summer about a diminished role in Houston playing alongside Dwight Howard, Asik has started all three games and is averaging 11.7 rebounds in just 23.3 minutes per contest.

People talk about the league getting “soft” in terms of physical play – which I disagree with – but I do think the league is softening via the growing popularity of “maintenance programs.” Stars who would otherwise hold this kind of record (perhaps some resilient veteran superstar like Tim Duncan) are withheld even when they’re healthy and that’s considered a positive thing for the game somehow.

Michael Jordan played a full 82 games 9 times in his career – those days are LONG gone. He wouldn’t even be allowed to do that today.